It's New Year's Eve here in Australia, and 2009 is drawing to a close...This would have to be one of my favourite times of the year for parties, celebrations, being with friends, and reflection. This year [new years eve] is a little different as I am the designated driver, being nearly 6 months pregnant there is no getting out of this job! But on the up & up at least I won't have that nasty headache from too many champagne bubbles as years gone by!

Here are a couple of images I found & love - they seem to perfectly reflect how I am feeling about this upcoming new year -

To Live in the Moment, To Do it Now (less procrastination), Pay It Forward , Be [more content] Happy - with Myself & for What I Have.

I suppose this year feels somewhat especially reflective, withwhat seems the smell of change in the air, as my husband & my life will become dramatically different come Early May when our little addition arrives into our lives!

So where ever you are this evening have fun, stay safe, if you drink then don't drive, & here's a BIG Happy New Year to You for a wonderful 2010! I can't wait to share more with you in 2010 at Palatial Living! Take Care. S xxx

29 December, 2009

Congratulations to the triumph New Zealand Maxi 'Alfa Romeo', 2009 winner of the '65th Annual Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race'. Beating 'Wild Oates' who was close line chasing a record 5th consecutive line honours win... narrowing the margin on the last day from 32 nautical miles to only 11 nautical miles. Wow - it was a breath taking race, with near to perfect conditions and what would seem to be only casualties of pride...

The main entrance & garage Under cover entrance leading to the front door

Outdoor undercover terrace by day

Sydney's Pittwater

Open living spans out to the incredible Pittwater views

Bathroom amenities

Outdoor undercover terrace by evening

What would have to be one of my favourite spots in Sydney, Church Point, which is located on Sydney's Pittwater close to the Northern Beaches... Here I have found a home that I could be very comfortable in. What a truly gorgeous palatial home, when can I move in??

24 December, 2009

Hope you have made it on the 'nice' list, or redeemed yourself in time to make it onto Santa's good list! It's Christmas Eve, and as many of us are preparing to visit family, and friends - some are travelling to their loved ones and some are away from them... my sister, Felic & [future] brother-in-law, Alex, who are based in London are heading to Switzerland for Christmas, and we wish them & all who are making their way by car, bike, plane, train , or boat - safe travelling & happy trails to their destination...

It's also at this time we think of [and pray for]those who are less fortunate either without family and friends, or without a warm place to stay and something to eat. If you are in a position to give a donation of time or money to help someone less fortunate than yourself - I encourage you do to please do so - be it inviting neighbour/s [elderly or otherwise] to your home for some Christmas cheer & company, dropping in on someone you know that may be by themselves over this holiday time, giving time to help at a shelter or to a food van, or giving to your local church drive or community pledge... anything you can do always helps.

So tonight I hope that you all keep well, that the milk & cookies, and carrots are out, and that little eyes fall asleep and are kept tight whilst Santa makes his annual visit... May your Christmas morning be a truly happy one!

Spell out your name with hand embroidered knit socks to be filled up with small treats. Knit up a storm with them soft mohair blends & ribbon

Fine Linen and Lace Snowflakes

A forest of Pine Trees using a tree template cut out with pinking sheers for the Christmas tree look and attach with pearl buttons that make for baubles!

Christmas is for Children - of all ages - use ric rac or zig zag ribbon and felt cut outs to decorate plain coloured stockings, placed at the end of the bed, on the mantle or (as in my childhood) on the door knob!

Baby Socks - an advent calendar or a miniature way for your baby to have their own stocking/s. Using baby socks in similar colours attach/ [with wooden pegs] onto ribbon to create a bunting effect... so cute.

A simple quilted-stippled soft stocking in pale Christmas hues for baby filled with things that parents & baby can use.

If you've haven't hung your stockings yet - now's the time to do it, or St. Nicholas will not be able to leave you any treats!! If you're super organised and you still have time to decorate & sew here's a few stockings that caught my eye, and are inspiring me for the New Year & sewing projects especially the baby & children's ones... This year we know that Christmas [for us] will be a quieter one, although spent with family & friends, it will be very different than to what we expect for next year, when the two of us become three - in May 2010!

23 December, 2009

Just in case you're not checking in to Palatial Living over the next few days, I want to wish you, your family & friends much 'Joy' over this Christmas time...

The gift of love, the gift of peace, the gift of happiness…

May these be yours at Christmas, and throughout the New Year.

Thank you for all your support, for dropping by each day & your kind words of encouragement over the year for both - Palatial Living & my residentialcommercial - interiorexterior colour & styling business, Verandah Home + Garden Living Solutions. Without you I could not have achieved what I have this year!I hope that in some small way I have been able to give you colour & styling inspiration into your daily journey... Take care, Stay Safe & Thank You. S xxx

Striking - Simple wreaths on a coloured [Red] Door - here is a sustainable way of making a wreath, by using old newspapers into rosettes and folds make this 'green' wreath.Turn your bedroom, a guest bedroom or bathroom into something bright, festive & colourful too!

Striped Table Cloth for your Dining Table - easy to do, mask out your stripes and using fabric paint with a roller sponge add your stripes... wonderful for Christmas and the whole year round!

Your Red & White gift wrapping...

It's shown as a bit of trend this year through visual merchandising in store windows, to home ware products, to decorating & styling ideas for Christmas as seen in many of our favourite home & garden magazine....using Reds & Whites for Christmas. From my colour & style file for you today I have found some wonderful ways to bring colour & the Christmas season into your home through your dining table, your bed & bathroom, your front door, your gift wrapping...Be Bold & Colourful, Enjoy!

22 December, 2009

If you're still stuck sorting out your decor for Christmas and feel like time is running ahead of you - then take comfort in the good news you're probably not the only one, and you don't need to make too hard for yourself!! So here's a few spaces I found from my colour & style files, that show from the Front Door, to the Kitchen, and to the Lounge Room, that have used a traditional Christmas colour - Green - in various shades, to show that you can colour block your decorations to provide a very festive stylish look... You could also achieve this with your own favourite colour be it blues, reds, whites & neutrals, metallics, or pinks & oranges. Just have fun with it...and so you're not playing favourites on the colour wheel - you can always rotate your colours & shades year by year - just to be fair! Have fun with it!

What a cute way to decorate your walls with this mini stocking bunting...

Even if you're not too handy with a sewing machine, or don't have access to one, you could even make these stocking flat - cut from felt attach some excess fabric, ribbon, or buttons onto them and hand sew onto tape ribbon to string up, visit the link above for more details and templates you can print out... Have fun! x

18 December, 2009

Happy Friday!! I am so happy that's nearly the weekend - I can get to the rest of my Christmas decorations & final present wrapping, and we have a (an early) family Christmas event on Sunday !!

Today's image is courtesy of one of [my] Palatial Living's biggest fans, my sister - Felic, who is currently living & working [as a lawyer] in the UK. And between Felic & her fiance, Alex, they have a huge fascination with maps [of London] that also double something else such as wrapping paper! Here [image above] Felic sent me this image of the London Tube - Underground - map, being used as Bon-Bon wrapping, so clever & 'location-ally' stylish!! Maybe you have a city map that you could thematically use as part of your decorations or table setting for your international or out-of-town guests at Christmas?

Hope your weekend is wonderful one - relaxing, eating, drinking , carolling, or seeing friends and family in the lead up to Christmas, and very importantly if you still need to shop that you're able to find that elusive car spot at the shops this weekend!! Enjoy & Thank You for stopping by at Palatial Living this week - I hope you have found some inspiration! S xx

What a treat... this week more of my favourite interior magazines arrived including this gorgeous issue of Vogue Living Jan /Feb 2010 issue. I love the designs and many pieces of Dinosaur Designs, and getting a peek into 2 [Louise Olsen & Stephen Ormandy] of the 3 [Liane Rossler] design team that makes up Dinosaur Design.

I am always fascinated with Louise Olsen - as her family is as interesting as she is - her brother Tim Olsen, is a successful & prominent gallery owner of 'Tim Olsen Gallery' . Both Louise & Tim are the children of celebrated Australian artist John Olsen & his second wife Valerie Olsen. I am a huge admirer of John Olsen's style & work, and studied his collection and artistic journey throughout school & fine arts at university, so I can understand my unconscious pull as to why I am often drawn to most articles about the 'Olsens' and their many artistic endeavours.

Here in this Vogue Living article we are invited into the stylish & artistic home of the Ormandy-Olsen duo, where both individuals showcase their artistic talents from styling, collecting and [Stephen's] paintings.

Another recent & great article where you can find out more about Louise Olsen and Dinosaur Designs' can be found at Australian Edge

16 December, 2009

I think this is a lovely calm, cool & lovely space to park myself, for what feels like Mid-Week Chaos! Between appointments, work, crazy social calendar and the buzz of Christmas I need a quiet little spot to take a minute, or a cat-nap would be ideal [if only!]... Maybe you're the same?

I know that I'm looking forward to Friday evening & the end of the week...How about you?

15 December, 2009

This week I received my latest copy of [one of my fave mags] Inside Out, summer issue 2010 - and amongst many fabulously stylish articles and images, showcasing Australian colour & design in only the way Inside Out magazine does... I came across a wonderful editorial piece on Marika Järv & her home on Sydney's Northern Beaches, who part of the Duo that is 'Print Dolls'. If you have been checking into Palatial Living from time to time you may have came across a couple of previous posts that I have published about Print Dolls, and also about Marika's friend & business partner, Alice Flynn.

Here [images above] is a snapshot of the wonderful images & article on Marika's home & her inspiration throughout it... I really love Marika's use of text and images combined into soft furnishings and wall art, set on plain canvases on either white walls, a mid-century inspired timber stain or muted grey, green blue tone - all of which seem to project a serene, uncluttered, sophisticated sense of fluidity & style through the interior. Yet another gorgeous piece from Inside Out magazine! Enjoy...

Images & Article from Inside Out magazine, January /February 2010 issue.Make sure you check out Inside Out's blog - it has new home & a new address click here on 'HomeLife'

14 December, 2009

Not sure about you but our weekend was jammed pack with social get togethers around Christmas and a [3rd] birthday party... and there were lots of decorations to be seen! I love this time of the year - so much fun and such a visual feast!

[Image above] What a gorgeous lux way of decorating for Christmas... These beautiful Peacock feathers sit amongst these gilded baubles in silver & gold and sit elegantly in a stone planter perfectly. It's a fantastic way to add some Christmas flair or if this is the only space you have to devote to the festive season's decor.

11 December, 2009

It's Friday, the weekend is upon us & not 2 weeks from now many of us will be putting our feet up, or chowing down on our Christmas Day lunch & dinner with Family & Friends... Wow the next fortnight will really go quickly!!

I found this fab image to share with you... What a wonderful way to show your Christmas Spirit by creating the 'green' wreath wall, show you don't have jut pop a wreath on your door alone!! You could achieve this look with either live potted plants that are in nestled in stag moss/ peat in a wreath shape - and water them daily to keep moist, or try an artificial variety and purchase faux ivy or box hedge style wreaths.

As you can see here, there's no need for further decoration you can keep it stylish & simple and create the look by putting the wreaths in a gird or shape formation. If you wanted to decorate you could try using just 1 or 2 styles and colours of bauble, or a flower (artificial or real), or why not try a beach theme using some shells, [dried] starfish, or small glittered driftwood pieces. Not forgetting the bush & country you could also bring in some native gum nuts or seeds to add texture... This look could also be a great alternative to a tree if you don't have the space!

What Christmas inspired artwork will you come up with??

Hope you have a wonderful weekend & have a chance to get all your Christmas decorations & shopping done before the chaos catches up! Take care & thank you for visiting Palatial Living this week. Enjoy - S x

[image 3] Thoughtfully wrapped candles and body lotions can be great gift ideas.

Gift Giving at Christmas and that Awkward moment of being 'caught' Empty-Handed...

Most have been there and would prefer not to go back to that moment where someone, be it friend we don't see often or an aquaintance you don't exect to see or your neighbours that you only see when they get their rubbish bins - give you a [small] festive token of thier relationship with you ...

So you could have the attitude of - Mr Scrooge > Ba Humbug: I’m not sure if my friends and I are exchanging gifts this year. But if someone shows up with a present, I’ll just tell them, “Yours is on the way,” and drop off something when I have the time.

OR - why don't you get creative & take an inexpensive, light-hearted, non-related Scrooge approach... Happy Holidays: This is one of the easiest ways to create an awkward situation during the holidays. Because you never know who’s going to ring your doorbell bearing gifts, be prepared! Keep a few small presents, such as baked cookies or some home-made wrapped nougart, scented candles, hand towels, and stationary, hand-sewn bags, or hand made toys or cushions, at the ready so that no one is left empty-handed.

See, really not that hard - and then those embarrassing social faux pas moments are erased and we can all sing 'Happy Christmas'!

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Interview Love - The Interiors Addict

Jen Bishop is a British magazine publisher and editor living in Sydney, who dreams of being an interior stylist. This blog, voted one of 20 to watch in 2012 by Problogger, contains interviews with the top stylists and designers from Australia and across the globe.

All images & text for Verandah Home & Garden Living Solutions, and for Sarah Verity 2008, 2009.Please consider all world wide bloggers when using images and text be sure to quote your source and blog link so that all ideas & inspiration can be shared fairly.Thank you for Visiting - Enjoy & Be Palatial where ever you are!